Doctor Who-Steel Heart
by Gallifreyanlove
Summary: A new companion joins the tenth Doctor and its not by coincidence either as the Cybermen reveal the cold, hard truth
1. Chapter 1

My name is Diane Williams and I'm a human being of Earth in the year 2008. I'm 27 years old and I'm a widow. My life isn't much since my husband died. I've suffered more traumas than anyone I know but I know that I'm not alone in the universe. This world is full of loneliness and heart break. My life was mundane and empty, my life was….. Well it wasn't good quality since my husband died. You see, I did everything with Nate. We were best friends. We shared our lives to the point where we suddenly became the one person, life support for each other and the sad part is, I didn't realize it until he was gone. That's the day my heart stopped. The day UNIT knocked on my door with their uniforms, crisp and neatly pressed, their hats off and clasped firmly in their hands, a mark of respect. That's when I lost my life.

I went to work every day, making it through each day by working as many shifts as I could in the morgue, dissecting and researching. Anything to try and comfort the thought that at the end of the day I'd be going home to my empty and cold apartment. I walked to work some days. This day was in no way particularly different to the others. It was more cold than usual; the ground was wet and slightly icy. I usually go down the main street to work when it's a dull day because the street lamps would illuminate my way. I had a car but wasn't a great driver, I hated it in fact. It was Nate that got me to take my test and it was only by miracle I got my license. But today, though it was cold something compelled me to walk. I walked two thirds of the way on the main street but then something, I can't explain it, and something willed me to go towards the back way. It was isolated and some people told me it was dangerous but I couldn't help myself. It was like something that wasn't audible was calling out to me. It was calling my name. I don't know, maybe deep down I wanted it to be Nate. Some irrational thought had led me to believe that Nate would be waiting for me around the corner. But the road was empty and there wasn't even a car to be seen. I didn't really care what would happen to me at this stage. I just walked on wondering why I was so drawn to this street. As I turned off at the widened corner of the street there was a small green at the back of a block of student accommodation. There were one or two street lights just up ahead so I knew I was near the hospital. But then there was something that spun me around. It was like a force drawing me in, there was no one there. It wasn't a physical touched that turned me, it was odd. Then as I peered into the green area I noticed something glistening in the far corner of the tiny park. It could have been a piece of rubbish or some junk metal left in the icy grass and yet I seemed to have a compelling interest in it. I looked around to see if anyone had come down this road yet, I was still alone. Before I knew it my legs were walking towards the object. As I got closer I saw it. My word, it was magnificent. It was a cool blue-silver metal that seemed to subtly radiate a warm array of colours right before me. It made me feel warm and comfortable. It was like Nate was standing next to me again, I could smell him, I could feel his body heat. It was like being around the object had brought him back. I had to have it. The 3-D shaped hexagonal box was small enough to fit into my back pack. I didn't seem to question what it was or why it was there but I just had to have it with me. I carried it with me all day, not once did I feel sad or depressed. It was like having the effects of happy pills without having to take them.

I wanted to test it, I wanted to see its composition and open it up to see what it looked like internally. I refrained from hurting it. I don't know why I thought I could ever hurt this metal box. Being a coroner I cut up dead bodies all day, empty vessels, but I still couldn't bring myself to hurt this magnificent metal creature. It was like it rewarded me with happy thoughts every time I caressed it. It seemed to respond to affection. Oh how it made me feel alive again. That night I lay it in bed with me on Nate's side of the bed. I guess I must have thought that if I left it beside me all night then maybe, just maybe it could grant me a wish and I'd wake up to find Nate lying next me, smiling and laughing at my drooling face. But when I woke up he wasn't there and as upset as I thought I'd be I was more comforted than anything. I was beginning to forget the things I missed about Nate. At the time I didn't see it as a bad thing, I felt relieved because now I could finally carry on. However, as the days went by I began to lose joy and blissfulness too. My emotions began to form this unnatural equilibrium that I wasn't able to notice. I started becoming like a robot, but only when I had the box with me was it like this. I never once let the box out of my site. It was addictive, but my friends became deeply worried. I isolated myself and shut them out. And then… and then he came along…..


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor was staring intensely at a tiny device he held in the palm of his hand. A tiny little satellite whirred around on the surface of the device and he looked at the road ahead of him with his mouth agape, he peered through his black framed rectangular glasses.

"Allons y!" he yelled, but no one followed. He suddenly stopped as if about to hit an invisible brick wall and momentarily contemplated his loneliness.

"I should stop doing that… there's no one to say it to anymore" he groaned, and then changed his mood as if a switch in his mind was flicked.

"Back to the grindstone!" he hopped down the street as his coat flapped behind him, the tiny device let out mouse sized squeaks as he neared the place he was looking for. He came to a halt and stared up, "Cardiff University Hospital, now what ever could be going on in there?" he pondered to himself. He reached into his pocket and with his sonic screwdriver gave the device a quick blast and tapped it with his finger. The device started up once again with a slightly different noise frequency. He was off once again disappearing into the depths of the hospital, the tail of his coat in tow.

Diane was finished with her last cadaver and was just after closing the vault door when she realized something was wrong. She was feeling again. Scrambling for her phone in her locker she left the room abruptly and ripped open the door of her locker. She grabbed her phone, plucking it from the tiny compartment in her bag and found a rather harsh text from her friend

"I've taken the box, you need to move on and stop this Diane. We're all here when you're ready to talk"

Diane threw her phone so hard it rebounded off the wall and shattered into pieces. She sunk down against the wall and began to cry deep, heavy sobs. She was doing so well for a while, everything was coming together and now she had to start all over again. Her trembling hands and knees barely allowed her to stand once again. As she wiped her tears and picked up the broken pieces of her phone she heard a clink from behind the steel door. This steel door led to supplies such as medical saws and other such instruments, the room was kept sterile behind the steel door at all times. Diane shook it off, thinking it was just something after falling but then she heard it again. This time it was a slightly louder clink. Stopping everything she was doing she made her way to the door. There was a noise like a machine pumping away behind the door. There were no machinery kept down here, so what was it?

Diane grabbed hold of the cold handle and with one swift pull the door slid back revealing two metal men. Diane screamed as she jumped back. The metal men stood still for a moment. Diane slowly stepped backwards wondering what was happening to her state of mind..

Meanwhile in the hall one floor above the Doctor was dodging trolleys and stray beds in the hallway trying to follow the now weakening signal.

"Come on!" he flicked the device and growled. Then he decided to follow his instincts and took the first elevator that opened down to the basement.

Diane wasn't' sure whether to run or look for hidden cameras and her friends hiding near by. For a brief moment she figured there was no way those things were made up, they looked so…. So credible, so solid, like her nightmares in true form. Then one of the steel men moved, a hand reached out and fingers flexed, the noise of their suits like pressurized valves backing their armored movement terrified Diane. She let out a whine as she moved even further backwards.

"Earthling, state your name" it said in a synthetic cybernetic voice.

Diane took a second to answer "….Diane" she gasped.

"State your designated purpose on this planet" they replied.

"A…. I'm a pathologist…" she barely whispered.

"Your title is obsolete. You will come with us" they stated in unison.

"No" Diane shook her head, "Why do you want me?!" she cried.

"You are the one who found our capture device correct?" the second metal man asked.

Diane couldn't answer.

"You will answer the query; you were the one who was drawn to the hexagon capture device correct?"

"But…. Yes… but I…"

"Then you are the one we seek, you will come to us for a customized upgrade now" the two metal men stepped out of the sterile room and made a b-line for Diane. Diane ran screaming through the hall, terrified for her life. The men of steel marched in unison after her; they had no need to run as they marched efficiently and effectively. Every person Diane ran into on the way up she urged them to run in the direction she was going. But it was futile. She witnessed the 'deletion' of several people. The men of steel just had to give one touch to the innocent by standers and they were shocked to death under what the alien steel beings called "maximum deletion".

Diane was half way down the hall in a teary mess when she ran into the Doctor.

"Whoa whoa…. Where's the emergency?" he stopped Diane.

"Get out! There's men made of steel! They're killing everyone get out!" she screamed in hysterics. The doctor held her face in his hands,

"I'm here now, I can stop this. Get everyone out of here now"

"But it's no use…. Oh God they're after me! They said they want me!" she cried.

"You?.. Alright you stick with me; I won't let them hurt you just do as I say and I promise you'll be okay"

Diane was so upset all she could do was nod and that's when the heavy metal footsteps were heard and people's screams cut through them like glass. The Doctor shoved a trembling Diane behind him and pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

"Stop! Cybermen you have been warned by the Doctor, you are violating intergalactic laws 16890 and 14783, invading a planet outside your jurisdiction and kidnapping a civilian. Under the Shadow proclamation I order you to stop this right now!" the doctor was more than angry, he held his hand out to halt them.

"The Shadow Proclamation have nothing on the Cybermen, we take our own matters. The Earthling you call Diane will come with us for customized upgrading"

"Why her? Why do you specifically need her?"

"She has a great power burning within; our planet is running out of a power that only she can give us. She will come with us now"

"Well I'm sorry, but your race will just have to perish. I'm not letting you take her!" the doctor yelled. He could feel Diane holding onto him and shaking.

"Then you will be deleted" they held out their arms to fire but the doctor grabbed Diane and ran, racing down the hall and into the open air.

Diane stumbled to the side of the Doctor as he caught her shaking body. Her breathing was erratic and he knew they were in serious trouble. Before they had time to run an army of Cybermen marched their way. They were now boxed in.

"You, Doctor, and one they call Diane are prisoners of the Cybermen. You will come with us to the Cyber factory and await instructions from the Cyber Leader" the Cybermen took hold of Diane and the Doctor.


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor held his hands up in the air as a surrender, as he turned to march with the Cybermen he leaned over and whispered, "Just do as they say for now, we'll get out of this I promise".

Diane wasn't sure whether to trust the Doctor or not, she glared at him in disbelief through her tear filled, mascara blackened eyes.

They marched to an old factory, it was a typical place for the Cybermen to set up cyber conversion units as they were naturally places that could hold mass amounts of power and supply the tools for making these horrific units without significant detection. The lighting was dim, there was a stench of oil and the heat was just about bearable. Diane held her mouth and nose as they walked through; they marched along a hallway and came to a newly renovated part of the factory.

"This must be part of their actual ship, its certainly not human technology or metal from this planet" he gave a knock on the metal and listened. "Yup, cybernetic material, the walls are breathing" he stated, "They must have come through the rift". Diane wasn't listening; she just kept watching to see what the Cybermen were doing.

They stopped her at a grey metal door and took a moment before speaking. Diane gazed up at her soon to be murderers and awaited the death she never in her wildest nightmares thought would come to her.

"You have the hexagonal capture device correct?"

"No, my friend took it, so don't ask where it could be" she snapped.

The Doctor's expression slipped into a sorry and typical expression. He knew what was going to happen next.

The Cybermen pushed the two of them into a cell.

"Then we will have to look for the device and take whoever has it with us for upgrading" the door shut and Diane slammed into it.

"No! Don't you dare! Don't you bloody dare!" she screamed as she threw herself at the door.

"I'm so sorry" the Doctor sat at the side wall fiddling with the device he took out of his coat pocket. Diane stood in shock staring at him for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry but who the hell are you?!" She snapped.

"I'm the Doctor, and I'm here to save you" he replied sternly.

Diane scoffed a laugh, "fat lot of good your doing me now" she replied as she sunk against the wall and sat near the Doctor.

"Please, just trust me. I'll get us out of here safely" he looked into her eyes; he could see that she was more than frightened. He could see deep in her eyes she was depressed. Diane suddenly broke his train of thought,

"And excuse me but why should I trust you really? How am I to know that you're not working for them?! You could have been some sort of honey trap"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow and smiled, "You're a feisty little one, good on you!"

Diane rolled her eyes.

"If I was working for them I'd look like them believe me…"

"You said you're a doctor?"

"THE Doctor actually"

"What? You're making no sense!" Diane felt like thumping the walls, none of this was making sense to her.

"I'm the Doctor, a Time Lord….. This won't make sense to you now, you're in a state of shock already… but….." he took out his sonic screwdriver from the inside pocket of his jacket and began scanning her. Diane's natural instinct was to smack his hand away and she did.

"It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you" he said softly. "This is just a type of scan, it's what my people used to use, see?" she shone the blue pulsing light as his own hand to show her.

"Why do you want to scan me?" she breathed.

"Because they said you have a power burning within you and I need to know what they mean by that. In years, well, when I say years I mean millennia to come humans have evolved like um…. How should I explain this… oh! In the x-Men, you have your 'mutants', that's what its like and I'm just wondering are you… quite possibly… the beginning…..? " he explained as he scanned her mind.

"No, that's fictional and there isn't a future because it hasn't been created yet" she argued.

"Typical human, closing your mind to endless possibilities!" he chuckled.

"I used to believe in time travel and everything, but then my life got stolen from me…" she replied.

The Doctor stopped mid scan and stared, "I'm so sorry, that was your husband wasn't it?"

Diane stared away, "I don't want to talk about it please"

"Of course… it's still raw…."

Diane threw him a look.

The Doctor held his hands up in surrender, "It's okay… I'm so, so sorry, I really am… But I'll tell you what we're going to do; we're going to get out of here and we're going to make sure these Cybermen don't harm anymore people okay? Just follow my lead. Diane Williams you have so much to live for whether you think it or not" he held her hands as they both stood up. Diane could do nothing but nod, as much as she didn't like the way this 'Doctor' character operated she had no other choice. As far as she was concerned she had nothing to lose anymore. But there was one thing for sure; she wasn't going down without a fight.

The Doctor scrambled his brain trying to think of something quick; he needed to come up with something fast before the Cybermen came back for Diane. Nothing was coming to mind, his sonic screwdriver was unable to open the lock of their holding cell. His hair was getting more and more out of place as he paced the cold metal room.

"Doctor….. They're going to get me" Diane shakily whispered after a moment's silence.

The Doctor looked up at her, he couldn't let them take her, he just couldn't. Especially not when there was something about her that he needed to know. He knelt down in front of her and gazed into her eyes, she could easily see his own fear.

"No, something will come along, we can get out of here I'm not letting them get you"

Diane didn't believe a word he was saying, she knew her time was up. The door opened and two Cybermen entered.

"Diane, you will be taken for customized upgrading"

Diane stood up, reaching into her pockets her fists clenched as she placed her hands back by her sides.

"You can't take her! I won't let you!" the Doctor yelled.

Diane looked back at the doctor with a calm and serine expression, it was eerie. Had the poor girl given up on life? He saw her fists clenched and then stood back a step, quiet as he watched. As Diane neared she kept her eyes on the Cybermen for pressure points, weak spots. Under all that metal there were joints of rubber pipes and life supporting fluid running through them. If she was to pin point the exact place, like a main artery exposed then she could at least try to do something. The doctor rubbed his hand down his thigh like a signal when Diane took one last look at him. As she got close enough to both Cybermen she dug both hands into their thighs. Scalpels from the autopsy room were in her pocket all along, when she was at work she had a habit of misplacing her equipment and kept three spare. She took two, one in each hand and plunged them into the cybermen's thighs cutting through the wire. The Cybermen grabbed her firmly almost crushing her bones but Diane's will kept her slicing the scalpels the whole way through. There was a sound of releasing pressure and the Doctor pushed the Cybermen away, they fell to the ground like helpless animals.

Diane ran as fast as she could wit the Doctor in tow. They ran until they hit a dead end, around the corner were Cybermen guarding the cyber conversion room.

"The chamber has been sterilized" the first Cyberman said to the leader.

"Then we will bring in our first human"

"We were lucky just there, how did you figure that one out? You're a lot cleverer than I thought" the Doctor guffawed.

But Diane wasn't listening; she was peering around the corner wide eyed to find the Cybermen with someone very close to her in their grip.

"No what the hell is this? What are you doing let me go!" a girls voice screamed.

Diane began to tremble again. "No" she cried.

"Please don't do this, I gave you what you want, have mercy!" she screamed as they brought her closer to the room. Diane could see into the room at the door slid open. A metal holding table with huge mechanical sharp instruments above for cutting and slicing was visible to her. Diane began to get angry. These things had come to her planet and now they were destroying lives. The urge to help the woman screaming who was her best friend Angela, was too strong. The Doctor could sense what she was about to do and grabbed her, covering her mouth with his hand before she could let out a scream.

"There's nothing we can do I'm sorry" the doctor whispered. Diane pushed him off,

"I can try" she hissed. The Doctor rolled his eyes and readied himself for some fighting and running.

"Get away from her! Let her go!" Diane screamed. The Cybermen became alert and marched towards her. Angela's screams were all Diane could hear as the Cybermen tackled her into the cyber conversion unit. Angela lay in the unit beside her. Both women struggled for freedom.

"I'm so sorry Diane; we only took it to help you. It was Gina's idea. I didn't know this was what it was" Angela cried.

"This is why you don't mess with what you don't know Angela…. Oh God if I had even known….." Diane began to weep, taking in deep breaths as she prayed that what was about to happen would be swift and somehow she could be with Nate once again.

"Oh God what are these things? No way are these God's creatures!" Angela gasped as she stared in terror at the Cyberman guarding the doorway. Angela wasn't totally a devout Christian. She did believe in God but was never the type of Catholic to go to church every Sunday. She went every Christmas and said that once a year was enough and that she'd worship God by living her life to the full everyday. Angela had always said that God gave us life to live, he wouldn't want us stuck indoors all day chanting prayers to Him and not enjoying the splendor he created for us. She also made a very good point that if God wanted us to worship him then he too was committing one of the seven deadly sins; vanity. Diane, who even though had lost her faith a long time ago, whole heartedly agreed, but right now she didn't care who created these creatures. She just wanted this nightmare to end.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm so sorry Angela!" Diane wept, death was coming to them fast and all her regrets were flashing by her. The electric knife and shears stopped two millimeters away from their heads, passing over slowly until they came to a sudden stop. The girls now drenched in fear and sweat opened their clenched shut eyes and held their breath for what ever was to come next.

The Doctor suddenly burst through the door, his face had nothing more than a huge grin plastered across his face.

"Doctor get us out!" Diane screamed.

"Its okay I've got you, but we don't have much time" he spoke as he pulled a lever up releasing the clamps around Angela and Diane's wrist and ankles and head. The girls shakily stood up and stayed close to the Doctor.

"How did you get us free?" Angela whispered.

"I kind of rummaged through your bag that you must have dropped on your way in…. It had nail varnish remover in it, what ever is in that can melt through the chest compartment of the Cybermen and kill them. Worked a treat" he smiled as he held up an empty blue bottle of nail varnish remover. He threw it up in the air and winked as he caught it in his hand once again.

"Now come on, we need to get out of here fast before the rest find us", just as he spoke a small army of Cybermen turned the corner, the piercing sound of their heavy robotic movement tore through their hearts like no other fear they'd known.

"RUN!" the doctor yelled as he grabbed Diane's hand. Diane in turn grabbed Angela's hand and they ran as fast as their legs could carry them. They reached a door that was sealed, it was a heavy and thick metal door. The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and began pulsing the blue light at the lock.

"Doctor hurry!" Diane cried as she listened carefully for the ominous marching of the metal army.

"*Delete. Delete*" was all they could make out above the stomping of metallic flesh against the hard ground.

"I'm almost there!" he gasped, "One more…." And the door released, sliding open. They ran through and shut it, leaving the Doctor lock it back up again with one click of the sonic screwdriver. The other side was quite, the Cybermen were struggling to get through now that the door had a dead lock seal.

"What is that?" Angela pointed to the sonic screwdriver.

"Sonic screwdriver" he smiled as he waved it in the air.

"How is it a screwdriver?" she frowned.

"Well its…." He stared into the distance trying to explain, but no words could come to mind, then Diane butted in, "well from what I've seen it seems to have a versatile use, like a screwdriver, you know, good for opening anything and what not….. I'm guessing it work on sonic waves so hence the name" Diane explained.

The doctor stared at her, a grin formed across his face as he held his hands in his pocket, "Brilliant, just brilliant. There really is more to you Miss Williams".

"That's lovely but can we concentrate on not dying please" Diane brushed him off and he stood to attention, almost aghast at her cutting him off and not basking in his praise. This girl wasn't one to fall for his attention and take glory in each moment he acknowledged her mental capacity to comprehend such alien situations.

"No, quite right…. We need to find a way to stop the Cybermen and send them back to thee void, where they originated from in the first place…. We need to get back to the TARDIS!" he exclaimed.

"The what?!" both girls laughed in unison.

"You'll see, just follow me. Come on! Allons y!" he kicked his heal and threw back the tail of his coat behind him as he set off down the narrow hallway.

It wasn't easy running out of the Cybermen factory. They had to crawl down into the tunnel below, reeking of sewage to escape undetected.

"It's the only way we could get out without being followed and causing destruction in our wake" the Doctor retorted as the two girls gagged their way to Diane's apartment.

"The TARDIS is around the corner"

"So is my place" Diane wretched.

"Oh nice one! Come on, we can go to the TARDIS"

"Eh no love, we're going to change. I'm not fighting for my planet covered in shit cakes thank you very much" Diane glared, Angela snorted a laugh.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Alright, you women and your image!" he moaned.

"No, us women and our hygiene I think you'll find" Angela replied as Diane opened the door to her apartment. It was a nice big enough apartment. It had two bedrooms. There was no hall, just a large living room with a sizable kitchen to the left, dish washer and washing machine all included. There were two doors to the right then, they were the two en suite bedrooms.

"Very nice" the Doctor whistled as he entered.

"That's what the wage of an ACTUAL doctor will get you" Angela smiled.

"Oi!" the Doctor frowned. He wandered over to the mantle piece where a faux fire place sat, above the mantle piece was a large plasma screen TV. By now the two girls had gone into Diane's room to get changed. Angela took the shower in the spare room while Diane took the shower in her own bathroom. The Doctor took a nosy look at some framed pictures around the room. Most of the pictures were of Diane and Nate, some of her friends looking drunk and distorted, others of places she must have traveled to over the years. He noticed there was none of her family, no mother or father that he could see. He found it odd and then wondered were her friends the only family she had, and if so was it by choice?

"What sort of a name is 'Doctor' anyway?" Diane's sudden appearance caused the Doctor to fumble, he turned to see her standing there with her hair wet, drying it off with a towel and wearing fresh new clothes.

"Well?" she asked.

"It's my name, what can I say. I'm a Time Lord, it's in our culture" he explained.

Diane squinted and then smiled, "You're an odd one…. I don't know what to make of all this" she slumped herself down onto the couch and then suddenly got up,

"I'm sorry where are my manners? Would you like a cup of tea or anything? What do Time Lords eat?" she made her way to the kitchen. The Doctor laughed as he followed her.

"I love that about you humans, no matter what type of crisis there is you break out the tea and somehow everything becomes better"

"I take that as a yes then?"

The Doctor nodded. "Angela takes her sweet ass time getting ready, she won't be finished for an hour I can promise you that" Diane excused as she handed the Doctor the teapot and a mug and spoon.

"You want me to make you a sandwich or anything? You must be hungry" she replied. But before the Doctor could refuse she had the fridge door open and food everywhere.

"I don't want to intrude" he tried to wriggle out of it but Diane turned to him with a smile and then he realized that she needed this. She clearly wanted to look after someone rather than just making a sandwich for herself. She enjoyed the company, she was more than lonely and he could see it.

"Cheese and pickle please" he surrendered.

"My favourite too" she giggled.

"Too right! Best fillings in the world, well, universe actually" he sipped his tea.

"Diane handed him the sandwich with crisps on the side.

"Thank you!" the Doctor tucked in.

"Do you mind me asking….. What is it exactly that you do?" Diane sipped on her tea as she sat down in front of him.

The doctor put his sandwich down and peered at her through his black framed glasses.

"I travel across the universe… through time and space… I try and help people….doesn't always work out but… I do my best" he waited for Diane to react.

"Time and space?..." her mouth was left agape as she tried to wrap her head around it.

"Time travel, we were right all along Nate" she whispered to herself. The Doctor smiled to himself in amusement.

"Sounds so amazing….. Better than anything here that's for sure"

"I don't take any passengers anymore…. I'm sorry" he guiltily replied as he placed the crusts of his sandwich on the plate.

"Its okay, I wasn't asking" Diane smiled. The Doctor felt a bit disappointed she wasn't begging to come along. Deep down he needed the companionship despite the fact he had a constant fear of losing the ones he loves. So many lives were ruined whenever they traveled with him. But he didn't see it from their point of view, their lives were rebuilt, they were given hope, they were enlightened. But the Doctor was too stubborn to see that right now.

"Come on, we need to get to the TARDIS, I'll let you take a look inside if we're going to defeat them together" he got up, drinking down the rest of his tea and grabbed Diane by the hand.

"Wait! What about Angela?" the door shut and there was a silence in the apartment. Angela came out of the room with a dressing gown around her and her hair wrapped up in a towel, "Diane where's you hair….. Dryer….." she looked around the apartment for signs of life but they had left.

"Bloody hell, I'm gonna kill her" Angela muttered as she pottered off to find a hair dryer.


	5. Chapter 5

"By now I think we've more than likely ticked off the Cybermen and Cyberleader" the Doctor panted as they ran towards the TARDIS. It was literally parked around the corner from her apartment block, how they didn't bump into each other that day was anyone's guess given they both were moving in the same direction to the hospital from there.

"Yeah well tough luck coz they almost killed me and my best friend" Diane replied as the Doctor unlocked the TARDIS door. He let Diane step in first.

"You never questioned how small it looks on the outside" he groaned in disappointment.

"Well, I really didn't think you'd travel the universe in a tiny little cramped box… and with you anything seems possible so I figured there'd be some trick to it!" Diane laughed. She suddenly became serious and stared at its beautiful interior.

"Is it… is it alive?" Diane ran a hand over the interior, almost afraid to touch it. She listened to the machine creak and groan and whiz and whir as she stepped through it.

"There's a lot more to it" he added as he stood at the now closed door with his hands in his pocket.

"More?" she gasped.

"Through that door there, there's oh, I don't know, about twenty four maybe twenty six floors with God knows how many rooms and some swimming pools"

"You're joking"

"I thought you said you had this thing figured out?" he smirked knowing he'd baffled her.

"I'm not _that_ smart, I didn't think there was so much to it…. So is this TARDIS living or what?"

"Yes, it is….. It's a universe onto itself actually… I would go into all the timey wimey details but it'd take me hours and well," he leaned over the console and pulled a lever and the TARDIS shook "we really don't have the time."

The TARDIS rocked and spun as it seemed to travel through turbulence. The Doctor raced in circles around the TARDIS console as he hammered bits and worked levers with his feet. Diane followed him, stumbling from turbulence as she watched in awe at how complex this machine really was. The middle of the console was like a glass case with several small cylindrical glass pieces oscillating and scraping and pulling as it materialized itself to where the doctor had directed it.

"You want me to help with anything?" Diane frowned, half amused as she watched the doctor keep his foot pressed on a button while winding a lever with one hand and banging some odd shaped part of the console with a sledge hammer using his free hand.

"Um…. Ya that would help…." He pointed to a few switches and Diane placed herself before them, looming over them awaiting instructions.

"No! Not the yellow one! Never touch that!" he yelled,

"I wasn't gonna! I was just getting ready!" Diane snapped as she pulled her hand away fast.

"Right… sorry" the Doctor calmed himself, "Now. flick up the green, pull down the red and brown and in exactly five seconds flick up the red and blue at the same time, they have to be at the same time or we could end up god knows where"

"Right" Diane stared at the switches thinking to herself "you've got to be joking me".

Diane followed the instructions exactly to the Doctor's amazement,

"Perfect! Molto Bene!" he yelled.

Diane laughed, "You're so animated. I love it!"

The Doctor turned and flashed her a smile, "and you're clever, I like that".

"Before we go out to those horrible Cybermen….. Is there anything about them that I should know in advance? A little quick history?"

The Doctor wound down the lever and the TARDIS became quiet, indicating their arrival. He realized that he was bringing Diane back into a world of danger that she shouldn't have been a part of in the first place and decided that he owed it to her, given the situation. Telling her was the least he could do.

"Right… okay, the Cybermen, a quick history" he was serious, Diane stood up straight, she didn't dare want to lose her concentration on this one.

"Originally from the planet Mondas and invaded a planet called Telos as their planet of origin was destroyed. They seem to have an army hidden everywhere. They hope to rebuild their army by upgrading everyone. There are also Cybermen from another universe that seem to come through the rift, in their universe they were created by a human but now after being trapped in the void I sent them to they've broken free to here yet again. They're crafty ones….. But they have built in weapons, a laser gun in their lower arms; they can electrocute someone to death with just one touch as you've witnessed…. Anything else?"

"They must have a weakness, an Achilles heal? Everything and everyone does, a pressure point something!" Diane pondered.

"They're not like the Sontarans, you can't just crack 'em over the back of the neck!... Although they can't tolerate gold….. Gold dust gets into their life support system and suffocates them"

"Well gold isn't really that cheap…. So there'll be no gold dust bombs here I'm afraid" Diane sighed.

"We need a plan before we go out there at least, I need to know what I'm up against exactly….. If I still had that dam box they tricked me with in the first-" Diane was cut short.

"The box!" the Doctor yelled, he hopped around excited, his hands running through his head as if puzzled by something so complex his head was exploding.

"Oh yes, yes, yes! I'm so stupid! Why didn't I think of it before!" he growled.

"Wow, you're harder on yourself than I am with me" Diane stepped back from him a little, afraid of getting knocked over by his furious pacing.

"Come on, lets go find that box!" the Doctor yelled with great enthusiasm as he ran for the door. Diane scuttled after him,

"Doctor you mind explaining?!" she stepped out after him and slammed into his back as they came to a sudden halt. The TARDIS had landed smack bang in the middle of the upgrading chambers.

"Oh now that was bad landing, I'd better reconfigure that TARDIS of mine" he slowly and quietly remarked.

"Well…. That's one way to get noticed" Diane replied sarcastically.

"We'll have to be careful. I don't want to risk anything happening to you again" the Doctor turned around and Diane was gone, she had snuck around the other side of the TARDIS for a quick peak. The doctor grabbed her by her arm and pulled her back, two Cybermen marched passed, narrowly avoiding Diane.

"If you had stepped out just now you'd be finished" the Doctor chided. Diane felt like she was two inches tall at that very moment.

"I was just keeping an eye out to see where we go from here!" she defended her actions.

"Just follow me, I know more about this than you do and I need to keep you safe so buck up!"

Diane rolled her eyes as she tiptoed behind him, Diane was never one for following orders, and she hated it. It made her feel like a child all over again. Her parents didn't like her being herself, because being herself was too different for them. They hated the way she dressed and looked, they hated that she liked comic books and not 'proper educational books', despite the fact she loved science and became a doctor to try and prove to her parents that she was good enough. But she soon gave up trying to please them within her first year and began to work for herself with Nate's support. It didn't matter to her parents that she was a doctor; they disapproved of her no matter what. Her older brother who wasn't the nicest of older brothers out there, one day told her that their parents had planned him, but he wasn't so sure about her. From then on she was nicknamed "oops", insinuating that she was an accident and making Diane feel unwanted. Eventually she cut herself off from her family. She was better off without them, they were weighing her down and putting in on her, now she was free to be whoever she wanted and it helped that her parents had moved half way around the world and her brother married and settled somewhere in Europe. She had lost track of the miserable sod years ago and last she heard he was in Italy designing houses for some aristocratic family and being paid the big bucks. Not that she cared much, he was a pretentious so and so. Right now Diane felt like she was once again the unwanted idiot being told what to do all the time.

She held her breath as they trudged through the oily floor of the factory. They managed to dodge and duck as Cybermen passed them; they were truly doing well as they figured out which direction to go but then they came across an unforeseeable slippery part of the floor but Diane being clumsy felt her feet go from under her. She fell hard on the floor, there was a crack as the Doctor looked back and found Diane lying on the ground.

"Watch yourself!" he whispered as he looked around. Diane had tears in her eyes as she felt the pain; it was like she had shattered something.

"Ow that really fucking hurt!" she wept.

"Are you okay?"

"I think I broke my ass" she blushed, he frowned at her, then gave her a look of sympathy, and then finally the Doctor began to laugh.

"Come on lets get you up" he helped her up, but she was clearly in serious pain.

"You're not well enough to go through with this, I'm taking you back to the TARDIS right now" he ordered.

"No, I'm fine I just broke my ass like the idiot I am"

"You're not an idiot, don't ever say that. You just slipped and your in serious pain now lets g-"

They turned to go back and suddenly became horrified to see a single Cyberman standing in front of them.

"I've said this before and I'll say it again, do you Cybermen have a new feature that you can put your legs on silent?" the Doctor squinted.

"If we weren't so screwed I'd laugh" Diane gasped in pain.

"Delete" the Cyberman began to speak.

"Can you run?" the Doctor whispered.

"Just go, I'll be fine, you need to save the world" she whispered.

"No, I'm not leaving you"

"Don't be stupid! Just go!" she pushed him away hard and grabbed the attention of the Cyberman, "Excuse me Cyber wotsit but um…. Do you not recognize me?"

The Doctor slowly backed away watching to see what Diane was doing.

"Aw go on, check your little memory bank for my face" she pulled a big grin.

"I'm the girl you've been looking for remember!" she cheered.

"You are the one they call Diane, you are the one we need to keep our race sustained" the Cyberman voice recalled.

"Bravo!" Diane muttered.

"You will come with me for upgrading, Diane" the Cyberman made a grab for her and she dodged it, getting ready to run she looked back at the Doctor and mimed the words "remember me" to him. He nodded with a stern look and ran the opposite way leaving Diane running from the Cyberman for her dear life.


	6. Chapter 6

It's quite hard to run for your life when it feels like you've shattered your pelvis and possibly your spine too but Diane Williams seemed to be doing a good job at running as fast as she could. She had stopped breathing a good while back and felt like her lungs were going to burst but it was what was helping her run so fast, by not breathing it cut the pain in half and let her keep going for longer. But now there was more than one Cyberman after her and she was now resorting to hiding in a metal container by one of the door to a blocked off hallway, which she guessed, led to a control room possibly.

Diane held in her whimpering as the uncomfortable and excruciatingly hot container boxed her in nice and tight. Her lungs felt claustrophobic as she struggled to breathe quietly. The metal stomping caused the container to vibrate, causing her to quiver. The stomping stopped just outside the container and Diane held her breath. Why were they taking so long to uncover her idiotic choice of hiding?! Then suddenly there was a large dent weighing in on her. The Cyberman was pounding in the container, as if trying to crush her. Before Diane could scream her world went dark and she was no longer conscious.

"She will once and for all be upgraded. Take her to the sterilization room and I will deal with the Doctor".

The Doctor meandered through the hallways of steaming pipes and croaking metal floors. He had somehow managed to avoid the army of metal men patrolling the factory. He was now a wanted man and yet they still hadn't spotted him yet. He stopped mid way down the hall and lamented over Diane. But oh how could he have been so stupid? The whole reason they came here was to get her, to use her untapped ability that he hadn't even figured out yet? Was he blind? The Doctor swore at himself as he took out his sonic screwdriver and began to pulse it into the air, he needed to find that box quick if any of this was to come to an end.  
He raced across the floor and down some steps as the pulsing light became more frequent, following the residual electro magnetic energy that was emitted from the capture device he swiftly snuck behind some containers and was now peering between two containers, the room that was holding the device was just across from him. He attempted to bide his time but just as he knelt down a hand dug into his shoulder.  
"You are a prisoner of the Cybermen, you will be deleted" the Cyberman sentenced him, but he was corrected by a rather different looking Cyberman, its cranium was blackened with a see through casing at the top, it's brain was very visible, its cranium was slightly larger than the rest. This was an indication of the Cyberleader.  
"No, we will bring him to the cyber control unit so he can see all. This is the age of Steel"  
The Doctor's hearts raced as he frantically tried to think of a plan. No matter how hard or how fast those cogs in his head turned they were reluctant to churn out any sort of half way decent idea. The Doctor steadied himself as he marched ahead of the Cybermen and into the room where he stood in front of a large window which was dimly lit. The Doctor peered through trying to see what was in the room. He dreaded to think what was behind that glass, had they found Diane? He readied himself for the worst, but nothing could ready him for what was about to be unveiled.  
"You will witness the triumph of the Cybermen before you die Doctor" the Cyberleader gloated, if it was possible for a Cyberman, who was emotionally inhibited to gloat. There were only a few lights that switched on when the Cyberleader flicked the switches. They were lights that sat on the base and the top of a cylindrical tank in the middle of the room behind the glass, highlighting what was inside. The Doctor jumped in fright, and then moved towards the glass in horror.  
"Oh no…. I'm so sorry" the Doctor whispered. He peered through his glasses, staring intensely at the figure floating in the cylinder of liquid. She was, for a brief moment, a friend of his. But now….. Now the Doctor's heart sank to see her unconscious in a green viscous liquid. There were wires sticking out of her arms, her legs and forehead and the back of her head. Thin narrow tubing pierced her skin and bone and muscle and her body had seized with pain.  
"Please let her be sedated" the Doctor begged, it was the only consolation to her death.  
"She is merely in a state of unconsciousness, she has to be fully aware when we begin the process" the Cyberleader explained.

"You can't do that it's disgusting! She's going to die in such pain! Don't you think she's suffered enough pain in life?!" the Doctor snapped, almost spitting as he yelled.

"Her past is not relevant to this situation"

"Of course not, you Cybermen, you don't feel, you don't think, you don't even FATHOM that all you do is bring destruction and pain! Your whole purpose of existence is to block out pain. That's a pain that YOU cause! You have no idea how stupid you are!" the Doctor pulled at his own hair, sweating trying to bide time so he could try and save what was left of his new friend.

"We do not feel, therefore we are superior" the Cyberleader said.

"No! You are not superior. You thrive on taking over the universe, upgrading everyone but what happens when you have upgraded the entire universe and there's no one left. What is your purpose then?"

"That is a matter to be dealt with in the future" the Cyberman replied.  
The Doctor gave a growl of frustration, staring up at the ceiling for a moment,

"Just say hypothetically you've upgraded the entire universe? What is the point of your existence then?" he was trying desperately to break their minds by inputting some shear sense. He was hoping that by convincing them of sense it would trigger some sort of system over ride to their emotional inhibitors and break them.

"Then we are the superior race" the Cyberleader coldly replied.  
The Doctor wiped his face down with his hand as he gritted his teeth, the Cybermen were truly thick. "Thickity, thick, thick, thick" as the Doctor often calls them. There was no way of talking around this. He had to think fast and then he saw it. The hexagonal shiny box that was sitting in the place of some sort of hexagonal dent on the control panel. It was being used in part of the whole ordeal. The Doctor stood beside it, he pondered for a moment and then he hovered a hand over it. A Cyberman grabbed his hand and pulled it away. It dragged him to the side and turned him, making him watch as Diane woke up. There was an initial scream as panic set in when she realized she was breathing through liquid. The pain shot through her like no other. This was it, she couldn't see the Doctor or the Cybermen, and she had no idea where she was. She struggled against the restraining tubes but each time she moved she pulled at the sharp ends digging into her veins. Diane managed to muffle a crying scream through the liquid causing large bubbles to form and move around her.  
"Don't struggle" he breathed as he watched in agony, this poor girl fight for her life, to at least die in dignity, but this is how her story ended. In all his long years the Doctor watched people come and go, he watched some live and some die. Some died the most horrific deaths, and each time he lost someone he had to mourn them. His determination to not grieve this time was too strong and began to take over his body. He watched in awe as his legs carried him towards the control panel. The Cyberleader and already begun the process.

The sound of a machine beginning its first working round could be heard droning, within the next few minutes Diane's entire body would be drained slowly and painfully of all her energy. Diane's face scrunched up as she heaved and convulsed in the viscous fluid. The Doctor ran around the room, being chased by a small army of Cybermen as the Cyberleader conducted the power drain. The Doctor ran as fast as he could out the door and up some steps, dodging shots being fired. He stumbles at one point, his knees slammed and scraped off the metal stair case, but the shear adrenaline kept moving. On his way up he pulled a few wires and pipes out. He let the water from the pressure tanks spill onto the floor and once he was satisfied all the water had trickled down the stairs he did his best with what he had. Grabbing some wiring in a fuse box he made a long conducting wire by twisting all the ends together. When he was satisfied the wire was long enough he let the wire dip down into the water and stood back making sure he didn't catch himself in the water. One swift and fulfilling pull of the switch and the Cybermen who were now lined up to kill the crafty Time lord were being electrocuted to smoking piles of nothingness. Some shook the stairs violently as they fell into vats of emptiness below, others tumble backwards giving a domino effect, causing the remainder to pile up, lifeless on the floor below. The Doctor was now happy to have them out of the way and made his was back to the control room once he had shut off the electricity.  
He rushed into the room where the Cyberleader stood.

"I'm back!" he beamed as he ran in and locked the metal door with his sonic screwdriver.

"Now it's just you and me" he winked. The Cyberleader made a swipe for him and he dodged.

"OH! Are we scared of the big bad Doctor?" he danced around the room dodging swipes at every turn, eventually he had reached the controller. The Cyberleader stopped and watched with the Doctor as Diane seemed to be struggling even more than before.  
Alarms began to bellow as Diane began to rise to the top of the containment she was in.

"Oh good girl" the Doctor smiled to himself.

"Systems over load, power is experiencing negative feedback" the Cyberleader began to fiddle with the controls as the Doctor watched Diane fight with everything she had. The hexagonal device began to shimmer and steam rose up from it. Then it all clicked. Somehow Diane was willing the energy to the device at a larger and faster pace than it could take. She was being drained but her determination to destroy the Cybermen was taking her over and she was now turning their machine on them.

"The wonders of a paradox machine ay?" the Doctor smiled, winking at no one in particular.

"The power is too great" the Cyberleader stumbled back holding its head, it was having trouble balancing as it attempted to make its way to the hexagon to finally pull the plug.

"Oh no you don't!" the Doctor caught the hand of the Cyberleader and was without using any strength, able to pull it away.

"You're getting weaker, pretty soon…" and then the unbearable screaming from outside the door came. The device was linked to their emotional inhibitors, all connected by a psychic network, and as Diane was overriding them they were getting some senses back. The Cyberleader started to feel pain. The Doctor stood as he mercilessly watched the Cyberleader die from the pain of realization of what was happening. He gazed out at Diane who was now too screaming at the fluid filled her lungs. The Doctor was now sure that the work had been done once the Cyberleader was lying motionless on the floor. There was an abnormal amount of steam gathering from the device.

"You sleep now Diane, rest in peace", the Doctor pulled the hexagonal device from the control panel and the glass of Diane's containment shattered. Her lifeless body slid and slumped to the ground, the wires still attached to her body.  
He made his way back out into the corridor and around to the room where Diane lay; he wanted to bring her body back as a mark of respect. He began to pull the wires from her skin gently as if not to hurt her though it was too late. He held her gently like a new born in his arms, as he pulled the thin wires from her arms and head tiny drops of blood poured out. There was something so sickening about this, he wanted to cry out. He barely knew her but he felt like his world had caved in on itself all over again.

"Come on, let's get you home….. I'm so sorry… I broke my promise" he let a tear drop from his eye as he looked around for a way to bring her out. Then something grabbed the lapel of his jacket tightly. Diane scrambled and choked for air as her body convulsed, her eyes opened.

"Whoa!" he yelled, a smile spreading across his face, Diane continued to breath, gulping down air.

"That's it, I've got you, just breathe slowly" he couldn't help but smile. By some miracle she was alive.

"Oh God, my chest, its hurts so bad, my heart!" she cried.  
The Doctor took out his stethoscope and placed it to her heart. He could hear crackling, not like fluid filled lung crackling but like, sparks and impulses, her heart was beating normally, which was odd for someone who had just come back to life. Her heart should be doing flips and hand stands at this stage. The Doctor frowned and took her up in his arms. "Let's go home" he muttered as he carried her back to the TARDIS.

"But the Cybermen?" Diane was in too much shock to be as frightened as she should be, but he knew that she'd be left permanently scarred and it was his fault.

"They're gone, you saved the world Diane Williams, and I had nothing to do with this one" he beamed.

"I'm so proud" he smiled uncontrollably as they trudged through the lifeless Cybermen on their way back to the TARDIS.


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor stayed with Diane that night, Angela had gone home by the time they got back. She left a message saying to call her, and she did. Angela offered to stay with Diane but the Doctor advised her not to. He wanted to stay and watch over her that night, it was the least he could do. He stayed up channel surfing, both feet propped up on the dark mahogany coffee table. It was late and Diane couldn't sleep that much.

"Feet on my coffee table, you're making this a new home" Diane smiled.  
The Doctor looked up from the TV and stood up,

"Sorry… I… How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice hushed.

"Been better…. You can put your feet on the table by the way, I do it all the time myself" she walked towards the kitchen.

"So I've noticed," the Doctor glanced down at some grubby shoe marks on the table surface. He watched as she went to make a cup of tea,

"You want one?" she asked.

"No, thank you" he replied, then he noticed her hands shaking as he placed a mug down. It wasn't subtle, it was the mug clattering against the counter top, her having trouble letting the mug sit kind of trembling. The Doctor scampered over and placed his hand on hers. The trembling was deep.

"You're not okay" he stated.  
Diane pulled her hand away and placed in under the blanket she was wrapped around her.

"It's just a reaction to everything… Trauma… Trust me, I'm a doctor" she brushed him off.

"I know... But it's the shock wearing off…. You went through something unbelievable today" he grabbed a hold of her hand again, "something that I inflicted on you, and I can't do it to you again" he replied.

"No, you at least owe it to me to stay" she snapped.

"I can't let you get into that sort of danger again"

"I won't, you owe me this much. Please….." she gazed into his eyes.

"I've put you through more than enough, you almost died…." He placed his hands on her face and smiled, "You saved the world today, I couldn't be more proud, you did it all by yourself…." There was a silence, then Diane stared back.

"I'm going to have nightmares for quite a while aren't I?" Diane knew what trauma could do to a persons mind. She was still having nightmares about death, she was convinced that Nate's death wasn't any ordinary murder but she couldn't breathe a word of it to anyone for fear she'd be classed as insane. Come to think of it, if Angela hadn't gotten involved today all of this would have been enough to send her to the looney bin for the rest of her waking days.  
The Doctor's smile faded, he nodded. "Naturally" he breathed.

"Well then I'll need some happy times to counteract those then won't I?" she smiled.

"What?" he frowned.

"Yeah, we can go somewhere really nice! Packed my bag and everything I did!"  
The Doctor wasn't sure he wanted her inviting herself along, but he wanted to know her more so he could figure out why she was so significant. The idea of her tagging along after today's events made him weary, but he still couldn't help but smile as she dragged out a suitcase.

"Oh go on then!" he rolled his eyes and then scrunched up his nose at her. Diane giggled with excitement as she jumped onto the couch. The Doctor followed suit and sat next to her.

"Are there more like you out there in TARDISes?" she asked after a moment's silence.

"Afraid not… I'm the last of them…" he replied glumly.

"Oh… I am sorry" she apologized.

"Its okay, happened a long time ago… it's in the past now" there was an awkward silence, Diane decided to change the subject and moved on to his appearance.

"How come you look like humans then? Is this your true form or are you wearing some sort of holographic shield and you really have tentacles under there?" Diane laughed.  
The Doctor laughed too, he turned to her and looked into her eyes, "what do you think?" he challenged her. Diane held out her hands and gently felt his face, she ran her fingers through his hair and then down his neck, then placing a hand on his chest, she could feel a strong rhythm. Two very distinct strong rhythms to be exact. She let out a slight gasp.

"No, it's very human to me" she replied, wondering in her head about the strong heart beat.

"Two hearts incase your wondering" he took out his stethoscope and handed it to her.

"Two? Double vascular system and your that skinny?"

"Always about my weight!" he groaned.  
Diane placed the stethoscope on his heart and listened, two simultaneous heart beats in perfect rhythm.

"That is bloody brilliant!" she gasped.  
The Doctor gave a proud grin.

"Anything else you have two of?" she asked wide eyed, the Doctor's smile faded and he placed a cushion from the couch over his pants. "OI!" he looked offended. Diane stared at him embarrassed, "No that's not what I meant!" she put her hands up in defense, the two of them stared at each other in embarrassment and shock for a few moments before doubling over with laughter.

"Maybe I do maybe I don't" he joked. Diane was in hysterics.

"I don't wanna know! I was about to ask if you had two stomachs or two sets of kidneys or two livers maybe?" she calmed down. The Doctor kept smiling,

"Nope, just double vascular system and I regenerate" he added.

"Regenerate? What like, your hand gets chopped off and it grows back?"

"Already been done!" he waved his left hand in the air.

"And this is my….. Tenth form… I used to look different each time"

"How does it happen?" Diane felt in awe of this immortal being sitting on her couch gracing her with his presence.

"Well back on Gallifrey we'd just live to be very old and on our death bed the regeneration process would set in…. but with me I'll usually get seriously injured or infected and that's when it happens"

"Does it hurt?"

"Just feels like an overwhelming need to get sick everywhere and my whole body tingles" he laughed to himself.

"Wow…. That's…. amazing… so how old are you then? If you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh just a few hundred years old" he scratched his head for some reason being embarrassed by his age.  
Diane smiled to herself, "I don't believe all this! It's so awesome!... Or else I've finally lost my marbles….. " Diane held her head as if a headache was beginning to set in. The Doctor wondered was all of this too much for given everything she had just been though.

"Well its one hundred percent real and I'd say you lost your marbles a long time ago my dear" he smirked. Diane smacked him playfully with the pillow.  
A sudden rush of excitement washed over the Doctor, "Oh and wait until I take you to the Azure continent on the emerald cluster in the year 5300! Oh you'll love it! The sky is lilac and the scenery is aquamarines, blues, it's amazing! Oh and the food! So colourful and so good!" he hopped up and down in excitement. He was beginning to like the idea of having a new companion around. He'd let her sleep well until tomorrow of course, she'd need her energy for what lay ahead. The Doctor knew deep down that she had a long journey ahead of her, and he was praying she had the strength to come out the other side okay. But for now he was having the best time he'd had in a long time getting to know his new companion, though he'd have to be careful not to call her that. She seemed like the type to throttle him if he needed a good kick up the backside. So he listened to her stories, and he told a few of his own. They talked most of the night, preparing themselves for the dangers to come, but oh what adventures lay ahead….


End file.
